Rescue and Counterattack

Mori Ougai, who was just drifting off to sleep on the second floor of the clinic, was awakened by a loud banging on the door.

Outside the door, Tsurumi Kawaru looked anxious, his white shirt stained with bright red blood, and large patches of blood spreading across his waist, abdomen, and cuffs.

He knocked on the door, heard the noise inside, pressed his ear against the door and listened for a while, then said in a fast voice, "Dr. Sen, the person I brought back is about to go into shock. He has three gunshot wounds in his chest, and two of the bullets are still lodged in his body."

The door opened, and Mori Ougai, who had changed into a white coat, appeared calm as he followed him downstairs, asking about the situation.

Ignoring the fact that he had been discovered sneaking out, Tsurumi Kawaru quickly told him what had just happened.

After going downstairs, the clinic's glass doors were tightly closed. Mori Ougai glanced outside and told him to pull down and close the roller shutter as well.

Tsurumi Kawakami ran quickly to the door, opened the glass door inward, and used an iron hook to pull down the roller shutter.

After closing the door, he turned and ran into the operating room.

Outside the door, Dazai Osamu, who had helped Tsurumi Kawakami drag the person in, leaned against the wall of the operating room, his arms crossed. When he saw Dazai running over, he grabbed Tsurumi Kawakami's arm.

"What are you doing going in there?" Dazai Osamu released his grip when he saw that Dazai had calmed down.

Tsurumi Kawaru peered through the small window from the door, but could only see a glimpse of the scene. He paced back and forth at the door, occasionally running back to peer through the window again.

The incandescent light overhead made the area near the doorway brightly lit. Dazai Osamu squinted and walked to the chair next to him to sit down. He glanced at Tsurumi Kawakami, who was leaning against the door, and was curious about the identity of the person inside.

Dazai Osamu: "Idiot, you care so much about the life and death of a stranger?"

Tsurumi Kawaru turned his head and said seriously, "But his injuries are very serious. When I found him, he was barely clinging to life."

Dazai Osamu lowered his eyelashes, looking at his pale fingers resting on his lap. His fingertips twitched slightly before he curled up and clenched his fist.

Tsurumi Kawaru tapped his fingertips on the armrest of the chair and turned to look at him. Dazai Osamu stared at him calmly: "Don't just pick up anyone. That person looks very dangerous. He might be from some organization."

Tsurumi Kawa was taken aback, then realized what was happening. He suddenly recalled the scene from before; after the gunshots rang out, two black cars had indeed come from that direction.

Although he hadn't seen it clearly, upon closer reflection, he realized that the two black cars seemed different from those he'd seen on the road, and the drivers were also burly men in black suits.

Recalling these things, Tsurumi Kawakami guiltily looked away, staring at the clean floor, and slowly moved to sit down next to Dazai Osamu.

Hesitantly told Dazai Osamu about his discovery, and Tsurumi Kawaru swallowed hard, looking at him nervously and saying, "It shouldn't be someone from the Mafia, right?"

Dazai Osamu sneered and bluntly pointed out: "Of the three organizations in Yokohama, the one wearing a black suit is probably from the Port Mafia."

“And the man’s injuries were rather unusual; they were how the Mafia dealt with traitors.” Dazai Osamu glared at him, a mocking smile playing on his lips. “Happy? You’ve won the lottery.”

Tsurumi Kawakami: "...But I didn't know that before."

Dazai Osamu crossed his arms and looked at him coldly: "That's why I say, don't just pick up anyone."

Tsurumi Kawa tentatively reached out and grabbed Dazai Osamu's sleeve, shaking it slightly. "The car explosion has burned it all away. I've taken care to cover up the traces, so they won't be discovered, right?"

Dazai Osamu: "Hmph."

About an hour later, there was no sound from the operating room. Tsurumi Kawaru ran to the door and saw Mori Ougai come out, his exhaustion clearly visible.

Mori Ougai pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "The bullets have all been removed. As long as he can get through today, he should wake up tomorrow."

Tsurumi Kawaru happily turned around and hugged Dazai Osamu. The movement was so fast that Dazai Osamu didn't have time to react before he saw him run back to Mori Ouga and chatter on about the person's situation.

Mori Ougai answered him as she walked, then suddenly stopped halfway through her sentence, turned her head to look at Tsurumi Kawaru: "So you met him when you went out alone? Dazai was right, the other party was very likely a member of the Port Mafia."

If it weren't for the hard object blocking his chest, the bullet that struck the target's heart would have pierced through. Mori Ougai inwardly marveled at the opponent's good fortune, and sensed an opportunity from Tsurumi Kawa's intelligence.

Tsurumi Kawakami lowered his head, not daring to meet Mori Ougai's gaze, and naturally did not see the emotion that flashed in Mori Ougai's eyes.

-

On the morning of the following day, the sheep-organized grass ran into the clinic in a panic.

Tsurumi Kawa was guarding the man he had rescued. When he saw Sota run in, he walked out of the makeshift ward.

When Sota saw him, a look of joy appeared on his face. He rushed up to him like a firecracker and said, "Chuuya asked me to tell you that we will meet at Yang at six o'clock in the evening."

The rebellion in Leibo Street will begin tonight. In the past few days, Chuuya Nakahara has been moving between several organizations, and with the help of Osamu Dazai's rhetoric and his own strength, he has successfully persuaded them to join.

Tsurumi Kawaru's bright golden eyes lit up, and he immediately nodded and said, "I understand, I will be there on time at six o'clock."

Having delivered the message, Sota completed his mission and skipped away from the clinic with the few loaves of bread given to him by Tsurumi Kawa.

After watching the other person leave, Tsurumi Kawaru turned back to the clinic and ran to Dazai Osamu to tell him the news that Sota had brought.

"Dazai, do you think we should bring anything? This is my first time participating in a combat mission here."

The black-haired, golden-eyed boy, eager to try, looked around.

Slumped on the sofa, Dazai Osamu waved his hand dismissively, yawning as tears welled in his eyes.

Dazai Osamu glanced at the middle room and said, "Is the one inside awake? Didn't Mr. Mori say he'd probably wake up today?"

Tsurumi Kawaru peeked out from under the counter, and upon hearing this, glanced up and saw the man he had picked up yesterday, who appeared to be a port mascot, lying on the single iron bunk bed.

He hesitated and shook his head: "Not awake yet, probably not until the afternoon?"

Dazai Osamu: "Would it be alright to leave him behind and go sheep this evening?"

After hesitating for a moment, Tsurumi Kawakami said, "...Well, friends are more important."

Dazai Osamu was slightly taken aback. He glanced at him indifferently, picked up the Rubik's Cube that had been put back in its original position on the table, scrambled it, and started twisting it again.

At lunchtime, Tsurumi Kawaru told his guardian, Mori Ougai, about his plans to go to the sheep farm in the evening.

The slightly dejected young man raised his dark red eyes and glanced at the two of them. He nodded and said, "Be careful, be back before ten o'clock."

Tsurumi Kawakami smiled, his eyes crinkling, and nodded to Mori Ougai. Just as he opened his mouth, a loud crash came from the inner room, as if the tray had been swept away.

The loud noise startled him, and his golden eyes narrowed slightly. Tsurumi Kawaru immediately realized that the man in the room had probably woken up.

He put down his chopsticks and ran inside. The man in the hospital bed struggled to sit up and was about to get out of bed. The tray that had been on the cabinet next to him was now on the floor, with medicine, cotton swabs, and bandages scattered all over the place.

Tsurumi Kawaru quickly glanced at the ground, nimbly stepped over the obstacle, and came to the bedside. He pressed down on the man's shoulder and pressed him back onto the bed.

He looked closely at the man who had just woken up, and while picking up his things, he explained to him, "This is the clinic on Leibo Street. I found you and brought you back. Your gunshot wound has been treated. Don't move around."

The man in the hospital bed was pale and his lips were bleeding from his injuries. When he heard Tsurumi Kawaru's words, his wariness disappeared, but he was still wary of the unfamiliar environment.

"Thank you for saving me," the man said.

Tsurumi Kawaru picked up the things on the ground and put them on the cabinet next to him. He glanced at the medicine bottle next to the man, turned around and ran outside to call Mori Ougai.

The door was pushed open again, and a doctor in a white coat walked in.

Mori Ougai walked to the bedside with a warm smile, ignoring the wariness in the man's eyes.

He replaced the empty medicine bottle on the shelf and said with a kind and gentle smile, "You're recovering very well. You need to rest in bed for the gunshot wound in your chest. If you need anything in the next few days, you can press the bell by your bedside."

Mori Ougai pointed to the call button by the bedside, then paused before introducing himself to the man: "I am Mori Ougai, the doctor at this clinic."

He turned his gaze to Tsurumi Nagare beside him and introduced, "This is Nagare, he's the one who brought you back."

The black-haired, golden-eyed boy looked up and smiled unreservedly at the man. Holding the empty medicine bottle, he turned to Mori Ougai and said, "Dr. Mori, I'll take these things out."

Having received permission, he carried the tray and left the room with light steps. Tsurumi Kawakami put the medicine and bandages in the medicine cabinet, then turned around and bumped into Dazai Osamu behind him.

Tsurumi looked at him warily, quickly locked the medicine cabinet, and put the key into his pocket. "Dazai, I gave you three rolls of bandages yesterday."

Dazai Osamu, with one hand in his pocket, leaned against the wall, glanced down at him, and then looked into the adjacent room: "Is he awake?"

Tsurumi Kawakami nodded: "Dr. Mori is inside."

Dazai Osamu leaned closer and whispered, "Aren't you curious about what they're saying in there?"

Tsurumi Kawa was somewhat tempted, hesitated for a moment, then shook his head firmly, reached out and grabbed Dazai Osamu's arm to stop him: "You can't eavesdrop."

Dazai Osamu scoffed, broke free from his restraints, and sauntered over to the sofa. He sat down, pulled out a can of crab meat from under the cabinet, and boredly pried it open to eat.

-

At this moment, the conversation inside the room also came to an end.

The pale, bloodless man remained silent for a moment before finally choosing to cooperate with Mori Ougai. He gave up all the information he knew about the port Mafia, all for the sake of his lover who had been captured.

After listening to the other party's account, Mori Ougai smiled inscrutably. He nodded almost imperceptibly to the man on the hospital bed and said in a calm and gentle tone, "...Well then, it's a pleasure to cooperate."